{"id":2363300,"date":"2024-11-02T19:04:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-02T23:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/die-hard-trump-supporters-question-whether-virginia-can-turn-red-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-11-02T19:04:56","modified_gmt":"2024-11-02T23:04:56","slug":"die-hard-trump-supporters-question-whether-virginia-can-turn-red-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/die-hard-trump-supporters-question-whether-virginia-can-turn-red-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Die-hard Trump supporters question whether Virginia can turn red &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdie-hard-trump-supporters-question-whether-virginia-can-turn-red-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2363300&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>During a recent rally in\u2062 Salem, Virginia, \u200dformer President\u200c Donald \u2062Trump expressed optimism about\u2062 the Republican Party&#8217;s chances \u200din the state, which \u200chas leaned Democratic in recent elections.\u200d Despite Trump&#8217;s confidence, many of \u2062his <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">supporters voiced\u200c concerns<\/a> about the difficulty of flipping Virginia from blue to red, particularly due to the influence of voters in \u200dthe Washington, D.C. suburbs. Although Trump lost \u200dVirginia in \u200dboth the 2016 and 2020 elections, some Republican insiders\u2064 believe \u2063that \u200cthe 2024 elections\u200c may be\u200c different,\u2062 citing recent polls indicating that Trump is narrowing the gap against Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump&#8217;s remarks at the rally suggested he\u2064 viewed Virginia as critical for overall victory in the \u2064election, stating that winning the\u2064 state could\u2062 lead\u2062 to a broader win. However, attendees like Sharon Bibb and Rebecca Bane expressed \u2062skepticism about the feasibility of achieving a red outcome in Virginia, \u2063pointing \u2064to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/diverse-bronx-rally-crowd-hopeful-trump-can-win-new-york\/\" title=\"Varied Bronx rally attendees optimistic about Trump&#039;s chances in New York\">historical \u2063voting trends<\/a> and demographic \u200cfactors influencing the state&#8217;s politics.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Die-hard Trump supporters question whether Virginia can turn red<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1871401\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>SALEM, Virginia &mdash;<\/strong> While former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Donald Trump\">Donald Trump<\/a> projected confidence Saturday on the stage in Virginia, his supporters openly questioned whether the Republican nominee could flip the commonwealth from blue to red.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s trip to Salem comes as Republican insiders have openly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3049279\/republicans-virginia-think-2024-turn-state-red\/\">been floating<\/a> since the summer that 2024 will be the year that Virginia could shift from the Democratic column and into the battleground category. Virginia used to be a top battleground in 2008 and 2012 but has gone to the Democrats in the last four <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flashback-times-the-media-and-democrats-openly-cheered-replacement-theory-which-they-now-call-racist\/\" title=\"FLASHBACK: Times The Media And Democrats Openly Cheered \u2018Replacement Theory,\u2019 Which They Now Call Racist\">presidential cycles<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/live-blog\/2024-election-campaign-live-updates-harris-trump\/\"><strong>2024 ELECTIONS LIVE UPDATES: LATEST NEWS ON THE TRUMP-HARRIS PRESIDENTIAL RACE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>While Trump lost Virginia in both 2016 and 2020, some GOP insiders in the state think victory remains within reach, pointing to two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/border-patrol-numbers-expected-show-u-s-closing-in-on-one-million-illegal-immigrant-apprehensions-in-2021\/\" title=\"Border Patrol Numbers Expected Show U.S. Closing In On One Million Illegal Immigrant Apprehensions In 2021\">separate polls<\/a>, one conducted by the conservative-leaning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rasmussenreports.com\/public_content\/politics\/partner_surveys\/election_2024_harris_48_trump_46_in_virginia_cruz_4_in_texas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Rasmussen Reports<\/a> and another from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/09\/20\/new-survey-from-umw-center-for-leadership-and-media-studies-takes-closer-look-at-presidential-election-in-virginia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">the University of Mary Washington<\/a>, that show the former president is cutting into Vice President Kamala Harris&rsquo;s lead, putting Trump within striking distance.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trump supporters in Salem, Virginia, on Nov. 2, 2024. (Graeme Jennings\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s detour to a non-battleground state just days before Tuesday&rsquo;s election reflected that sentiment and he assured his supporters there&rsquo;s a real shot at victory.  <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll tell you what if we win Virginia, we will win the whole thing,&rdquo; Trump said at the rally on Saturday evening. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s possible that without winning Virginia, we will still win the whole thing. We&rsquo;re going to win Virginia, your governor felt it, I felt it for a long time.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>However, the majority of voters who spoke to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> at Trump&rsquo;s rally on Saturday were doubtful about Trump&rsquo;s prospects of flipping the commonwealth red, aware of what a heavy lift it would be to overpower voters in the Washington, D.C., suburbs.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s probably a long shot that Virginia goes red, but I&rsquo;m not going to give up,&rdquo; said Sharon Bibb, 68, who lives in Fishersville.<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca Bane, 77, who lives in Salem and works as a bookkeeper for a family business, also questioned whether the state could be flipped in this presidential cycle.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s sad that we are such a state with long roots and being very conservative, and then we&rsquo;ve got this whole group up near the D.C. area that votes against us. They swing the vote of Virginia because of all the people that work in D.C. area,&rdquo; she said, although she emphasized she was happy to see the former president in her town.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trump supporter in Salem, Virginia, on Nov. 2, 2024. (Graeme Jennings\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s special. It really is. He came to Roanoke eight years ago. We saw him over at the Roanoke Civic Center. And now he even got better. He came to Salem,&rdquo; Bane added.<\/p>\n<p>Joshua Francisco, 35, an industrial maintenance foreman, expressed frustration about the power of the northern Virginia vote.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We have a lot of Democratic voters that live up north towards Richmond, that&nbsp;actually they live in Virginia, so they get to vote in Virginia, but they&rsquo;re Democratic,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Virginia is the majority Republican state, and just the population up there, how many there is, it turns our state blue.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I hope he will flip it because of all the residents in [the] northern part of Virginia. I doubt if he can really,&rdquo; Francisco added.<\/p>\n<p>Although, not everyone was skeptical about Virginia&rsquo;s prospects of becoming a Republican state this cycle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3202355\/paths-victory-harris-trump-2024\/\"><strong>PATHS TO VICTORY FOR HARRIS AND TRUMP IN 2024<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sandra Duncan, 56, who lives in Blacksburg and works as a software engineer, said she was surprised that Trump would visit Virginia in the final push before the election, but added that she trusts the campaign must have some encouraging internal data.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Well, we were surprised that he would come and spend his time here, because typically in Virginia, you know, goes Democrat, and it&rsquo;s just great to see that he&rsquo;s so enthusiastic and so bullish that maybe there&rsquo;s a chance to flip this state,&rdquo; Duncan explained. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re just seeing a ton of enthusiasm. So we believe it can happen.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1871401\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1871401\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump supporters doubt Virginia can turn red<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2363301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/110124_TRUMP_SALEM_VA-8-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[32371,32603,32085,34969,38033],"class_list":["post-2363300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-election-analysis","tag-political-news","tag-republican-party","tag-trump-supporters","tag-virginia-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/110124_TRUMP_SALEM_VA-8-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2363300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2363300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2363300\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2363301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2363300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2363300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2363300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}